Means for coupling railway-rails and metal beams.



C. P. AGKERMAN. I MEANS PORGOUPLING RMLWAY RAILS AND METAL BEAMS.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Y 21, 1912, 1,047,365 Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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INI/ENTOR- CHARLES P. ACKERMAN, 0F ALBION, NEBRASKA.

MEANS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY-RAILS AND METAL BEAIVIS.

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rSpecicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Application filed May 27, 1912. Serial No. 699,883.

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it kno-wn that I, CHARLES I). AGKER- MAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Albion, in the county of Boone and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Coupling Railway-Rails and Metal Beams, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for coupling railway rails and metal beams and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide reliable and efficient means for connecting the meeting ends of railway rails or metal beams without the use of bolts extending through the webs of the rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide reliable and efficient means of comparatively simple construction for holding the meeting ends of rails or beams and for locking them together so that they will not spread, sink or become displaced at the oint.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of railway rails connected together by means of my invention, said view looking at the outside of the rails; Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the inside of the rails; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the meeting ends of a pair of rails before the coupling device is applied thereto; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rails joined together by means of my coupling; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one member of the coupling inserted in place; and Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the two rail ends during the coupling operation and prior to the insertion of the key for holding them in locked condition.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 designate the meeting ends of a pair of railway rails and 2 is the rail tie. One of the rails is provided with a vertical tongue or rib 3 and the other rail is provided with a groove 4 to receive said tongue, said tongue and groove extending from the tread surface to the base flange and said tongue and groove being disposed centrally of the rails. Each of the rails 1 near the ends is provided with a rectangular opening 5 extending entirely through the web 6 of the rails. The openings 5 are spaced from the openings 7 by an intermediate wall or partition 8 and the openings 7 are somewhat larger than the openings 5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The coupling member is provided with a depending flange 9 which fits over the base flange of the rail and said coupling member is provided with a central cut away portion 10 and at opposite ends of said cut away portion is an enlargement 11. A rectangular recess 12 is formed in the coupling member and projecting from the ends of said members are rectangular studs 13. The coupling member 9 is inserted first through one of the openings 7 in one of the rails and the stud 13 at that end of the coupling member is inserted through the opening 5. rI`he enlargements l1 are disposed in the opening 7 and the studs 13 are disposed in the openings 5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5.

rIhe locking member 14 is provided with a depending flange adapted to fit over the base flange of the rail to rest upon the tie 2. 'I he locking member is provided with projecting keys 15 which are depressed in the openings 7 to hold the enlargements 11 from endwise movement and to hold the tongue 3 in the groove 4. Vhen the coupling member 9 and the lock 14 are connected by means of the spikes 16 to the ties, the rails are held in removable condition and are not liable to spread, sink or become out o-f alinement.

It will be obvious that metal beams may be connected together by means of a coupling made in accordance with my invention.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that my coupling device is comparatively simple in construction, does not require t-he use of bolts which are constantly becoming loose and require attention and that the entire device can be quickly applied to the meetingends of rails or beams without the use of tools or skilled labor.

I claim:

1. A coupling for rails and beams comprising a coupling member adapted to be passed through openings in the meeting ends of the rails or beams, said coupling device provided with studs projecting through openings in the rails or beams, and a locking device comprising keys to be inserted for holding the coupling member against displacement or longitudinal movements, and means for holding said coupling member and lock in place.

2. A coupling device for rails comprising a coupling member, said rails being provided with tongue and groove end connections, and also provided with openings through the Web portions thereof, said coupling member In testimony whereof I affix my signature being provided With enlargementsstuds for in presence of tWo Witnesses.

occupying said o enngs, an a ook provided with keys tlg be inserted for holding CHARLES P' ACKERMAN' the coupling member in place and the rails Witnesses:

in Contact, said coupling device and lock V. E. GARTEN, being held rigidly to a tie or support. CHARLES BEITZ, Sr.

Copies of th'is patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C. 

